


Contingency Plans: Instigation

by hypatia



Series: The Incredibly True Adventures of 2 Hackers in Love [17]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies), Leverage
Genre: Gen, R is Quartermaster now, Revelations, Veteran!Q, fake suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:00:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29410869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hypatia/pseuds/hypatia
Summary: As far as anyone at MI6 knows, Q has been dead for just over a week. But he sent one last message.--When Q appeared on the screen, Bond had to pause the video and stare. This was neither the implacably composed quartermaster he’d seen so many times before, nor the by turns angrily determined and cheerfully snarky hacker Will that he’d met the day before. This man, he supposed, was the wounded veteran, doubly betrayed by the country he’d served for most of his adult life.
Series: The Incredibly True Adventures of 2 Hackers in Love [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1568371
Comments: 18
Kudos: 46





	Contingency Plans: Instigation

002 woke to find they had two emails from a dead friend. One had the helpful subject line “Open this one first.” And, whatever else they did, they listened to their quartermaster when he gave a direct order.

The message contained a link and instructions to only open when the linked video could not be seen or overheard by anyone else and they had the time to play it. Q warned the video could only be viewed once.

At any other time, they might have muttered about Mike’s over-developed sense of drama. But that didn’t seem appropriate just now, so they put in a set of earbuds and launched the video.

Q appeared. He was… he looked wrecked. Exhausted, angry, and under it all, despondent.

“Shit Mike,” they said to the screen. “Why did you do this?”

“Hello Ariel,” he said. “This isn’t the video where I explain why. That’s the other one. But I have a favor to ask from you and so you get your own video too.” He paused and rubbed his eyes. “If things work as I planned, you’ll see this Friday morning. And I’ll have been dead for just over a week.”

Ariel paused the video and stared at the screen for a moment. They grabbed a tissue box and swore at Mike under their breath. “Going to make me cry you bastard,” they muttered. “Fucking…” They hit play again.

Mike smiled, a familiar, wry expression from countless bouts of sarcastic banter, “The bright spot there is I won’t be around to hear you swearing about it.” Then his voice caught, and he wiped his eyes and swallowed hard. “Sorry. Thought that would be funnier. Anyway. You know more about me than anyone else at the agency. And you’re going to be wondering if there’s a way to contact someone who we both know.”

Ariel nodded. They’d thought about Gabe every day since Mike… since Q…

“Please don’t try,” said Mike. “I’ve taken care of that. I would never leave him wondering what happened. But I need to protect him. No one at MI6 knows about him except you. Grace knows he exists but that’s literally all she knows. Folks at Callahan’s are likely to be suspicious of anyone asking about ‘Mike’, so I don’t think they’re likely to bring him up.

“The favor is this: Pretend he doesn’t exist. Don’t tell anyone, don’t mention him, don’t try to find or contact him. It’s the _only_ way I can keep him safe. Please. If management knew he existed they’d hound him thinking he knows something about this or they’d decide that I shared information I shouldn’t have with him or some other bollocks. I would never want to put him through that.” He paused again and sighed. “There’s another video, I’m sending it to all the 00s and to R. It’s got answers to the questions you’ve all likely been asking. But in case it isn’t clear, this isn’t any of your faults and there’s nothing you could have done. That probably isn’t comforting right now…”

“Bloody well isn’t Mike!” said Ariel.

“…but it’s the truth and I hope someday that helps.” Mike sighed. “Last thing, I’m sending you a gift, not sure you’ll appreciate it, it’s a bit—cumbersome. But I couldn’t think of anyone else who would appreciate it like you will. Today, or possibly tomorrow, you’ll receive an envelope in the mail with a key and instructions. I hope you enjoy it.”

The video faded out leaving Ariel staring at the screen. They attempted to rewind or replay the video and received an error message that it didn’t exist.

005 stared at the screen on his mobile for a long time after the video finished. He murmured a phrase in Pashto, a blessing often used in place of ‘farewell’.

A notification pinged. A message from 009.

R opened her email first thing as she settled in at her desk Friday morning. Yesterday she’d been named Acting Quartermaster. She’d adamantly refused the code name ‘Q’. Mallory had chosen not to argue the point. She wasn’t yet certain how stable her position was. M needed Q-branch. He may not feel he needed her. Particularly as she’d demonstrated the respect she’d had for her predecessor.

And there was another email. She’d deactivated Q’s account herself. Yet here it was. This one was addressed to her and to the remaining 00s. A note warned that she’d only be able to play the video it linked to once and gave instructions to be in a secure spot before opening.

She looked around Q-branch. It was the half hour of shift change where the overnight and day crews did handoffs of projects, missions, etc. Almost seventy percent of her staff were onsite right now. She made a decision, checked the security logs, and then called an assistant over.

“Gemma,” she said. “Ms. Moneypenny is consulting Rajiv in Lab 3. I need her out of Q-branch in five minutes.”

Gemma frowned, “What do I tell her?”

R thought for a moment. “Q-branch is having a brief private memorial for our former quartermaster, best held during shift change, we’re sure she understands.”

“We are?” asked Gemma.

“We are now,” said R. “Spread the word, 10 minutes.”

She used an emergency code to alert any Q-branch staff not currently at HQ to log into a secure channel in ten minutes. The staff present in the building began gathering in the large open space where she worked. The heart of the branch where, up until several days ago, Q had stood orchestrating their work and the missions they supported.

She watched Gemma escort Moneypenny out as staff congregated, no one completely certain what she had in mind. She called over another tech. “Please initiate security protocol Faraday.” The tech blinked and raised his eyebrows. It locked down Q-branch and turned off all monitoring devices. “Yes really. Now please.” He nodded.

She ran a check, badges all present and accounted, everyone who was off duty had logged in. “Thank you,” she said to the assembled group. “While M will lead the agency’s memorial for Q later this afternoon, I believe we should take a moment, among ourselves who knew him best. I’ve initiated security protocol Faraday. Nothing that happens for the next few minutes can be monitored or recorded. I expect that every one of you will maintain the strictest confidentiality about what transpires from now until the protocol is lifted. Understood?” There were confused nods and murmurs of agreement.

“I know everyone has heard seen the announcement of Q’s death and it’s cause,” she looked around the room, heads nodded somberly. “What no one told you, was that Q left a suicide note, of sorts.” She paused again and waited for the murmurs to subside. “He sent a posthumous email to senior staff. It contained a video.” More murmurs. “I just received a second email. It is addressed to myself and the surviving 00s. I don’t know exactly what it has to say, but given the contents of the first, I believe you all deserve to see it.” R turned to her computer, set her system to broadcast to the large screen on the wall, and pressed ‘Play’.

“I’ll admit,” said Will, watching the secure feed he and Alec had tapped into. “I wasn’t expecting her to do that.”

“Will it be a problem?” asked Alec. “We could still shut it down. Make her think she can’t watch it unless she’s alone.”

“No,” said Will. “Her choice. She’s in charge now.”

**6:** Are you awake?

 **7:** Am now.

 **6:** Q sent us a message.

 **7:** ?

 **6:** He recorded it before  
The text says each surviving 00 can view it once  
Did he know you’d survived

 **7:** …  
Yes

 **6:** I’ll send you the link.  
This  
…  
James. This is bigger than we thought.

“I gave agent 007 enough of a hint that he should have been able to survive,” Q said. “I would have done the same for any of you. I don’t know whether he’s alive at this moment, but I’d like to think that he is.”

Q stopped and looked down, drew a shaking breath before continuing.

“But then you ask, why am I sitting here?” And now he looked directly into the camera. “Because the day I received that order, I stopped working for MI6. And my options became very, very limited. I could not accept that order. I _would not_ obey that order. Neither could I leave MI6. If I did, the chances were very high that one of you would be sent to kill me. This, at least, can be on my terms.

“I tried to serve to the best of my abilities, first in the RAF and then here at MI6. The first ended with the death of an agent in the desert of Kandahar. And the second is ending with another agent dead or betrayed by those he gave his loyalty to. I don’t have a third try in me. I wish I did. I wish I could continue protecting you. I am so, so very sorry that I cannot.” Q’s eyes had filled with tears and he adjusted his glasses to wipe his eyes.

“Please believe that not one of you is expendable. You are not disposable or replaceable. And any organization, no matter how much good it purportedly does, that tells you otherwise is _not worthy of you_.

“It has been my honor and privilege to serve with each of you.”

Q reached forward and the video went dark.

R turned to look at her staff. They were in shock, several in tears. They needed something to focus on or they would explode in highly unpredictable ways. “I need to make what may be a difficult request of all of you. Do not speak of this to anyone, not even each other. Do your jobs today. But know that this doesn’t end here. He sent this message to who he did for a reason. We’re going to wait and we’re going to follow the lead of the 00s in this. They are the ones who have the right to choose how to respond. Because they are the party that was wronged. Understood?” She looked around; she saw nods but they were tentative. She spoke more sharply, “I said, _understood_?”

There were sharper nods, more focus, and several responses of ‘Yes quartermaster’ or ‘yes ma’am’.

**9:** Have you all seen the video?

 **2:** Just got the message, haven’t watched yet…

 **8:** Yes. We all need to talk. Soon.

 **4:** Agree

 **6:** My place. This evening.

 **5:** Roger that

 **3:** Copy

When Q appeared on the screen, Bond had to pause the video and stare. This was neither the implacably composed quartermaster he’d seen so many times before, nor the by turns angrily determined and cheerfully snarky hacker Will that he’d met the day before. This man, he supposed, was the wounded veteran, doubly betrayed by the country he’d served for most of his adult life.

This man was exhausted. He looked underfed, overcaffeinated, and at the far end of his tether. Bond saw despair and rage and grief, all raw like an exposed wound. He had to force himself to continue watching. Most of the short video was simply a retelling of what Q had told him the day before and a request that whatever action the 00s took that their decision be unanimous.

Even though Bond knew that it didn’t end with Q’s death, he was certain this wasn’t an act. It was Q deliberately letting his mask slip, probably for the first time in years. The despair and bone deep weariness he was witnessing were genuine. And if Q… if _Will_ hadn’t had a friend like Hardison to turn to, he would, as he’d said, really be ashes in a bunker right now.


End file.
